Rail-clamp.



J. M. VAIL.

RAIL CLAMP. APPLICATION, FILED sEPT.2,1`9oa.

* K Patented Feb. 9, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

fifi/7765525.

l cation.

JOSEPH n. vAIL, oir nnYAnonro. j

l Bain-CLAMP.

no. senese.

Application led September 2, 1908. Serial No. 451,291.

To allwhom itmcy concern.' v

Beit known that I, Josnrn M. VAIL, aciti- :een of the-'United States, and. a resident of 'l-ryan, in thecounty ofWilliams"andState of Ohio, havev inventedv a cerain `new and useful RailfClamand I do hereby declare the following to `'e ya full, clear, and exact description of. the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to' which it appertains to'make and use the same, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon, ywhich form apart of this speciii- My invention relates to railway ap liances, and hasY reference more particu arly lto .clamps of the class adapted to cooperate with the rails and ties of a track to prevent relative movements thereof. y v

The object of myV invention is to improve )on the construction and efliciency ofthe g amp described and claimed in my'former application for United States Letters Patent, filed July 13, 1908, Serial No. 443,287, whereby the' railsl of' a track are not` only eijlectuallyfprevented from spreading and creeping relative to the ties supporting them,l 'but `are also strengthened Vand more rigidly.

supported atl curves than isthe case with the clamps heretoioreused. i

The operation, construction and arrange-` ment of thepartsof the invention'are fu ly4 described inthe following specication, and

illustrated Yin the accompanying drawings, in which?? i i Figure 1 is a plan view of portions of a rail and tie with the devicelcomprising my invention associated therewith.` Fig. 2 is-a section on the line'2 .2 in Fig. l" with the spike removedironi the locking wedge.' Fig. 3 is a section on thcline 3.3m Fig. 1.; Fig. 4 is,y

a planet a section cfa track `having my invention associatedtherewith. Figs. 5 and 6 are lan viewsof portions of a rail and tie with dif'erent moi'liiications otmy invention associated therewith. i 'Fig'. 7 is a section on the line 7 7 in Fig. 5, and Fig.` 8 is a section,v similar to Fig. 3 of another modification oi,v my invention.`

Referring to thgl drawings, 8- designates therails of a track, 9 the ties su porting' the same, and y10 the usual {ish-p ates joining the ends of abutting rails together.

My improved clamp' is intended to be clamped to the base of a rail 8, and comprises the clamp-bar 11, which is intended to .Specincation of Le'ttershPatent.

` Patented'reb. s, ieos'lff:

underlie the yrail with its top portion v12 adapted to lrest against the under side of the rail-base and one 'end Jformed with an up'- wardly and inwardly turned hook '13 for yengaging over. one flange or` side of the railbase. The opposite end of the clamp-bar 11 is made heavier than the hooked end 13 and has its top surface provided with a transversely-disposed groove 14 in which a wedgeblo'ck`15 is.mountedforimovements transversely 'of the bar. This` Wedge-block is formed at 'its lowerside edges with ribs 15a for working in ways 14a in the walls of the groove to prevent vertical movement of thc block therein,`and has its'upper inner edge Jformed with a lip or flange 15b Jfor ovcrlianging the edge of the contiguous base ilangc or' the rail to coperate with Athe hook 13 to firmly hold the clamp-bar to the rail-base, as shown. lTo adapt the block 15 to have a wedge -like action on` the rail -base when moved longitudinally in its groove the outer sides of both the groove and block are tapered to efiect a gradual contractionoi the width oiv each lfrom one' end to the other thereof, as shown.

-In Figs.'1 to 4 the wedfeblock is shown as being secured in locked position with an associated rail-base by inserting a spike 16, or other suitable securing means, through vtlie-transversel -disposed bottom groove or aperture 17 in t e block and driving the .same

'in or otherwise rigidly securiim it to the side Ln of vthe tie against which the clamp-bar 11 abuts. The groove or aperture 17 is pret'- erably, but not necessarily, inclined both vertically and horizontally relative to the vWedge-block, .as shown, to cause .the inner 4end of the spike to be more deeply embedded into thetie and to render its withdrawal more diflicult whena lstrain in the direction ofv outward movement of the block is'exertedv thereon. With this construction it is evident that a driving home oi' the spike 16 or other securing means tendsto tighten the wedge-blockLupon its rail. Theiconstrictions shownin Figs. 5, 6 and 7 `are the same asthat above described, except thatV instead of passing the spike or other securing means through the body of' thel which projects over the contiguous" top' portionl of thetie. `In the for-m'shown in Figs. and 7 this tongue,A which is desig nated 18a, parallelsithe edge of the rail-base in contiguous positiongthereto, and is provided in itsl inner or rail side With a notch,

'as at 18h, through which the shank of one the wedge-block, which is designated 21, ha. ins spike receiving aperture enlarged at its outer end, as at 22,.to form an internal shoulder against Whichone end of a coiled compression spring 23 is intended to seat.

' This spring is intended to encircletlie shank ofthe spike 24 holding said block tothe tie and te have its outer end thrust against the spike head, as shown, thus tendin to preventl a looseningv of the lWedge-b ock relative to the rail should the spike Work out ashort distance.

In practice the clamps comprising my in- .vention are secured to the base of a rail in position to abut against a side of each tie, the opposite end ortionof which is spiked to la heh-plate. he clamps are preferably placed in 'abutment with the far sides of the ties in the direction in which the rails have a tendency to creep, or in other Words .if the at the rig t of the-coacting ties. Thee am bar having been engaged with .a rail and .t e Wedge-block forced .home to securer hold the clamp 1 thereto, the block 4is attached to the side of the associated tie by. inserting -a spike through the body thereof and drin?-l ing it intothe side of the tie, as in Figs. 1 to 4 and. 8 or by driving the spike `through the tongue and into the tie, as in Figs. 5 to 7. It is now evident that a creepin of the rail Will'carry the engaged clam Wit it and will also move the tie therewith ue to the-wedgeblock of the clamp being attached'thereto, and also that a creeping'iof the rail will tend to effect a tightening of the clamp thereon, due to resistance exerted on the Wedge-block by the attached tie.

It is apparent that my improved clamp not onlyprevents a.' creeping `of the rails relative to the attached ties; butthat they. also tend to prevent a spreading of the rails due to the clamps being attached to the ties, and very materially assist in supporting the rails on curves ywhen used at such points.

I desire it to'be understood that my invention is not limited to any specific form or arrangement of parts exceptin so far as such limitations are specified 1n the claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is,-

1.' The combination with a rail and a tie, of a clam -b`ar adapted to underlie the railbase and aving rail-engaging means at one end, a`wedge-block carrie by the clamp-bar and adapted to cooperate with said means to firmly hold the clamp-bar to the rail, and means piercing the block transversely of the bar an( engaging the tie to revent relative movements of the tie and b eck.

2. The combination with a rail and a tie, of a clamp-bar adapted to underlie the railbase and having rail-engaging means at one end, a Wedge-block carried by and coperating with the clamp-bar to firmly hold a rail, said block having a transverse opening, a member projected through said opening and coperating with the tie to prevent relative movements of the block and tie, and means permitting a horizontal but reventing a verigcal movement of the bloc relative to the 3. The combination with a rail and a tie, of a clamp-bar and a Wedge-block which cooperate to irmly grip the rail-base, means .projectedthrough the wedge-block and cngaging the tie, and means yieldingly coacting With said iirstmeans and block to prevent relative movements of the block and tie. rails cree to the right the clamps are. laced 4. In combination with a rail and tie, a clamp comprising a bar adapted to underlie the rail-base and havin a rail-fiange engag- `ing hook at 4one end an a transverse groove in its top vsurface near its other end, said groove having its outer Wall inclined relative to its inner Wall to restrict one end of the groove, a Wedge-block mounted for move- -ment in said main groove transversely of' the bar and having a rail-flange engaging lip which co lcrates with said hook to rigidly hold the ar to therail,v said groove and block having com lemental portions which permit horizontai) but, lprevent vertical movements of the block 'in the groove, and means for attaching the Wed e-block to the tie, substantially as describe Intestimony vwhereof I have hereunto singed my name to this-specification in the presence of two'subscribing witnesses.

C. W.. OWENQ HAZEL 5B. HIETT. 

